Julius beekey



J. BERKEY.

FELT BOOT.

(No Model.)

No. 375.331. Patented 1333.27, 1337.

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N. PETERS, Pholoiilhugmphcn Washingicm RC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS BERKEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAND RAPIDS FELT BOOT COMPANY, 'OF SAME PLACE.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,331, dated December 27,1887.

Application tiled December 4, 1886. Serial No. 220,751. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ULIUS BERKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Grand Rapids, county of Kent, and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Back Stay and Jack Strap'for Felt Boots, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings hereto annexed.

My invention relates to a new and useful device to be attached to the rear of the heel of a felt boot; and the object of my invention is to strengthen the boot, to giv'eit greater wear and durability, prevent it from becoming broken and wrinkled, and also to facilitate the removal of the boot from the foot of the wearer. These objects I accomplish by means of the construction and arrangement of parts shown and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a felt boot to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is the backstay and jack-strap detached from the boot, showing a preferred form of the same. Fig. 3 is a modified formof the same. Fig. 4. is a perspective of one form of boot-jack used in connection with this my invention; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the position of the feet of the user when about to remove the boot from the foot.

Similar-letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The device shown in Fig. 4 is not claimed as a part of this invention, but is a peculiar form of a boot-jack invented by me, and which I design to make the subject of an application for a patent; and I have shown it in the drawings in this case, in order to more fully illustrate the working of the jack-strap.

In the drawings, A represents the felt boot.

B represents the back-stay, and G the eyelet or grommet, which is used both for holding the outer and inner portion of the back-stay together, and also for engaging with the pin, screw, or other device on the boot jack for removing the boot. The opening for the eye let or grommet is made only through the backstay B, and not entirely through the heel of the boot, the thickness of the back-stay being sufficient to render the opening thus formed operative, as above described.

In Fig. 2, D shows the inner portion of the backstay, which I prefer to construct of duck,

sail-cloth or canvas, or other strong cloth. The outer surface or part, B, I prefer to construct of leather. -The object of using the cloth lining is to give greater strength than otherwise could be obtained, and to prevent the shrinking and swelling of the baclcstay by moisture, it being ascertained that the cloth 6o lining does not shrink and swell with moisture,

as does leather lining; but I do not limit myself to the particular construction of back-stay,

as it is obvious that one or more thicknesses of the same or different materials may be employed, so long as said back-stay is capable of practical use in connection with the eyelet or grommet and the boot-jack.

In Fig. 3, Eshows a ring, which may be substituted in the place of the eyelet O, and F shows theniethod of attaching the ring to the back-stay. G shows the form ofthe boot-j ack, and H the pin in the boot-jack, which engages with the eyelet O or ring E in removing the boot.

This device subserves the purpose of not only strengthening the boot and rendering it much more durable than it otherwise would be, but it also adds greatly to the convenience of the wearer in removing the boot from the foot. When a felt boot is wet, it will frequentl y stick to the foot and cause great trouble to the wearer in removing the same; but this device enables the wearer to remove the boot by means of a boot-jack properly made as readily as he could remove a leather boot.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim to have invented, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a boot, of an external re-enforce or back-stay, B, at the heel of said boot, provided with an eyelet, 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

, 2. A felt boot provided with a back-stay composed of an outer and an inner piece at- 5 tached together by means of the eyelet or grommet, and the whole secured to the rear of the boot-heel, said stay being adapted to strengthen the boot, and the eyelet to facilitate the removal of the boot, substantially as de- 100 scribed.

JULIUS BERKEY.

Witnesses:

Jlvo. A. OovoDE, WILL H. GAY. 

